Eagle Scout Truman Hash restores historic Spartan Stadium scoreboard

Truman Hash restores historic Spartan Stadium scoreboard

Over the next few weeks, The Daily Times will be doing a series of stories about some remarkable young men in the area. These gentlemen have been striving to reach the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest scouting honor.

Through their hard work, these young men have set out to make our community a better place.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is no easy task, the Scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service, and outdoor skills before his eighteenth birthday.

Part of becoming an Eagle Scout is completing an Eagle Scout Service Project. The project provides an opportunity for the Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. This is the culmination of the Scout’s leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his part.

Scout Truman Hash, of Troop 12, dedicated his Eagle Project to the restoration of the Spartan Municipal Stadium scoreboard. Both Notre Dame High School and local semi-pro football team, the Portsmouth Warriors, use the historic stadium for football games.

“It’s really nice what he’s done to the scoreboard and for the stadium. It’s something that’s really needed done for a long time and it’s refreshing to see something new and nice in the place,” said coach Ted Newsome. Newsome now resides in Greenup, but grew up in a house across the street from the stadium. “I grew up across the street from it and went to school at Portsmouth and so that stadium was a huge part of life growing up. I’d wake up and there it was, right there, every day. I spent a lot of my time running around down there and playing, and then when I got a little older I played football there. It was a big part of the fabric of my childhood. I’ve played and coached in the stadium and it’s just so heart-warming to see that people still care.”

Hash was confident while planning his project but quickly realized it would not come without a unique set of challenges.

“The cold and rainy weather was the biggest factor in getting my project completed. I was also under a time crunch because my 18th birthday was May 30,” said Hash. Eagle projects must be completed prior to the scout turning 18 in order for them to receive the honor.

“I was blessed to receive a kind contribution of a lift from Glockner Enterprises to perform the high work. The scoreboard is 28 feet tall and more than 25’ wide. Since I did the majority of the work in the spring, the ground was soggy from spring rains, which resulted in the lift getting stuck in the mud,” explained Hash.

“That created some delays and extra work pulling it out. The weather also had to be warm enough to prime and paint. I also didn’t count on a big chunk of the concrete support falling out when the paint was scraped off. I called my grandfather and he came down to teach me how and help me build a form and mix concrete to repair the spot.”

While the project proved to be challenging, Hash said the support he received made it all worth it in the end.

“So many people lent their help and expertise to the project to make it all come together,” said Hash. “I also had help with the scraping and painting from members of my Troop 12 and the adult leaders of the troop. My parents were very supportive and helpful as well. People are really pleased that it looks so nice now and they have given me a lot of compliments.”

Hash is currently completing his senior year at Notre Dame High School, and has plans to continue his education by going on to college after high school. He says his experience in scouting has shaped his life and he hopes to continue working in the organization as well.

“Being an Eagle Scout is something that will always be with me. Being prepared, having leadership skills that I’ve already had to use to plan and complete a project, as well as knowing numerous life skills such as first aid, cooking, camping, survival, etc. will help me excel in whatever endeavor I engage in moving forward. There’s a joke in our family about having “a Scout in the house” for every emergency or event. They look to me to step up and solve the problem using my scout skills,” Hash joked.